Kildare Oireachtas members declare interests

THE 2026 declaration of Oireachtas Member’s interests was published recently, with Kildare representatives having varied degrees of commerical interests.

Senator Aubrey McCarthy had the most notable and detailed interests with the Punchestown native recording shares in nine holdings, including AIB, Bank of Ireland, New Ireland Assurance, as well as in Alphabet Inc, formerly Facebook. He also lists 15 directorships, and outside of his removals and storage companies based in Punchestown, the rest are with social charities.

Senator McCarthy lists land ownership in his home townland, and his renumeration for hosting Ukrainian refugees.

Of the other members, four of them – predictably, three from the left, but one from Fianna Fail – have declared ‘no interests’ amongst any of the nine categories listed as being of potential external benefit. Aidan Farrelly (SD) , Réada Cronin (SF), Shonágh Ni Raghallaigh (SF), and Fiona O’Loughlin (FF) all declared ‘nil’ in all nine categories of renumeration available to members.

These include occupations, shares, directorships, land, gifts, property or service lent or supplied, travel, renumeration, and contracts.

Of the six others, it makes for fairly similar reading, with Joe Neville (FG), Mark Wall (Lab), and Naoise O’Cearuil (FF) all declaring directorships of charitable bodies.

Both of the Kildare South TDs Martin Heydon (FG) and Sean O’Fearghail (FF) each list two farms. Deputy O’Fearghail also declares two houses, one of which is occupied by his daughter, and the other used as a constituency office. Deputy Heydon also has some concrete assets, and list share with CRH amongst his declarable assets, as well as some AIB shares.

Minister James Lawless (FF) only lists one additional house in Sallins which he rents out, while he lists an interest in a software company, albeit with restricted stock units which cannot realise value until publicly listed. Deputy Mark Wall’s directorships includes the Kildare Centre for the Unemployed, and Willow Community Counselling, both in Athy, as well as on the Castlemitchell Hall, the Ballitore Tanyard Community Company, and the Greise Youth Theatre.